Of the Salts contained in Pepper, ayid in Tea, ivith the Author" s 

 reafonings thereon : the Salts found in Cantharides defcribed. 



1 HAVE often reflected on the nature of Pepper, and particularly 

 what might be the reafons that the particles of Pepper excite fuch 

 a pungent fenfation in the mouth, when the fame, taken into the 

 ftomach or intellines, do not caufe any irritation, fo as to promote 

 an evacuation. 



I at one time thought, on looking at the internal or mealy part 

 of Pepper, that the particles compoling it might many of them be 

 very fliarp pointed, and thereby produce that kind of pricking on 

 the tongue, vs^hich many call heat or burning. But I afterwards 

 rejedled this opinion, becaufe, upon contemplating a great number 

 of thefe particles, I faw they were all of different Ihapes. 



I made a drawing, from the microfcope, of five of thefe parti- 

 cles, many of which together conftitute one grain of Pepper, and 

 thefe are ftiewn in Plate XIX, at Jig. 1 , A. ISIany of thefe parti- 

 cles are, indeed, very long and lliarp pointed, which I never ob- 

 ferved in any other feed I have examined, for the mealy particles in 

 other feeds are more of a globular form. Befides being of an ob- 

 long fliape, the particles of Pepper are flat on fome of the fides and 

 irregular on others, but in fuch manner that there are no cavities 

 between the particles, for otherwife each grain of Pepper, when 

 come to maturity, would not be a folid body. 



But what is very remarkable, thefe fhiall particles of Pepper, 

 when laid in water, do neither fwell nor become foft, like the 

 mealy fubllance of wheat, rye, peafe, beans, and the like, but 

 preferve their flaape (at leall as far as I have been able to obferve). 



